1. Field
Methods and apparatuses consistent with exemplary embodiments generally relate to package technology, and particularly, to a stacked package technology for electronic components.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the performance of information technology (IT) devices is improved, mobile information technology (IT) devices such as mobile phones are becoming increasingly light-weight, thin and small. In accordance with this trend, an increasing number of electronic devices have been mounted on or embedded in boards. A technique of mounting electronic devices on boards is referred to as surface package technology (SMT), and a technique of embedding electronic devices in boards is referred to as embedded package technology.
The integration of various types of modules into a single electronic device, i.e., digital convergence, has become widespread and is expected to grow further. New digital convergence systems are expected to become more compact and perform more functions. For this, various electronic devices are required to be able to be mounted on system boards.
The types of electronic devices that can be mounted together on system boards are not limited to active devices, and include passive devices. Examples of active devices include integrated circuit (IC) chips such as a memory chip, a logic chip, an image sensor and the like. Examples of passive devices include capacitors, resistors such as a pull-up resistor, a pull-down resistor and the like, inductors, antennas, and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) devices.
Stacked packages are largely classified into a package-on-package, a package-in-package, and a folded stacked package. The package-on-package is a stacked package structure in which one or more upper packages are stacked on top of a lower package and the upper packages and the lower package are electrically connected by solder balls, and the package-in-package is a stacked package structure in which a package is deposited inside another package, and particularly, on the electronic devices on the other package and the two packages are electrically connected through wire bonding. The package-on-package and the package-in-package are desirable in that they can directly adopt existing single package structures. However, the package-on-package and the package-in-package are relatively complicated stacked structures and often have poor electrical connections between packages.
The folded stacked package is a structure in which packaged or unpackaged electronic devices are mounted on or attached onto a multiple-folded flexible board or substrate. The folded stacked package has a relatively simple structure because the flexible board or substrate is folded after disposing or mounting electronic devices thereon. In addition, since electronic devices or packages in the folded stacked package are electrically connected through the flexible board or substrate, the folded stacked package is highly reliable in terms of electrical connections between the electronic devices or the packages.